6 August 2026
HOKES BLUFF – Nine Etowah County projects are splitting $75,331.29 in Coosa Valley RC&D grants this year, with the largest shares going to fire departments and a countywide outdoor learning program.
The Coosa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council announced the FY2026 awards at a recognition event at Hokes Bluff High School, joined by State Sen. Andrew Jones, State Rep. Mark Gidley, community leaders and the grant recipients.
The money is going to schools, fire and rescue agencies, a city recreation project and community programs.
Who received Coosa Valley RC&D grants in Etowah County?
Here are all nine FY2026 awards.
| Recipient | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Windy Van Hooten Teaching Garden | Etowah County Get Outside Initiative | $15,000.00 |
| New Union Volunteer Fire Department | LifePak 15 defibrillator and patient monitor | $15,000.00 |
| Gadsden Fire Department | Water rescue gear | $9,000.00 |
| Gaston High School | Understanding the scientific method and scientific laws | $7,500.00 |
| Gadsden State Community College | Advanced Manufacturing Center courtyard furnishings | $7,469.51 |
| Attalla Fire Rescue | Technical rescue equipment and stabilizing struts | $6,361.78 |
| Hokes Bluff High School | Auditorium sound system | $5,000.00 |
| City of Hokes Bluff | Girls softball training facility | $5,000.00 |
| Carlisle Elementary School | Outdoor classroom | $5,000.00 |
| Total | $75,331.29 | |
Where is the money actually going?
Emergency services took the largest single share. The Gadsden Fire Department, New Union Volunteer Fire Department and Attalla Fire Rescue together received $30,361.78, or about 40 percent of the county total.
Schools and education came next at $24,969.51, counting Gaston High School, Hokes Bluff High School, Carlisle Elementary and Gadsden State. Outdoor and recreation projects, meaning the Get Outside Initiative and the Hokes Bluff softball facility, account for the remaining $20,000.
Two awards tied for the largest at $15,000 each: the countywide Get Outside Initiative and New Union’s cardiac monitor.
What does the equipment do?
Several of these are working purchases rather than improvements.
New Union Volunteer Fire Department is buying a LifePak 15, a defibrillator and patient monitor that first responders use during medical calls in the department’s service area.
The Gadsden Fire Department is buying water rescue gear, in a county wrapped around the Coosa River and Neely Henry Lake.
Attalla Fire Rescue is getting technical rescue equipment and stabilizing struts, which crews use to hold vehicles and structures steady while working to reach someone trapped inside.
What are the school projects?
Hokes Bluff High School replaced the sound system in its auditorium. School representatives said the equipment carries band events, athletics, community gatherings and the school’s annual Veterans Day program, and that staff can run it more easily than the old system.
Gaston High School received funding for a project built around teaching the scientific method and scientific laws through hands-on resources.
Carlisle Elementary is developing an outdoor classroom, giving teachers a second setting for instruction.
Gadsden State is furnishing the courtyard at its Advanced Manufacturing Center with benches, picnic tables and other features. President Alan Smith said the center has served hundreds of enrolled students and welcomed thousands of visitors since opening, and that visiting students use the courtyard during field trips.
What did the legislators say?
Jones framed the awards as a return of state dollars to local hands, and was candid that the money runs out before the ideas do.
“There are probably a hundred more great ideas like this that we would love to fund, but it is a matter of stretching dollars and cents,” Jones said.
He credited recipients for applying at all. “Y’all were the lucky ones that got it because you took the initiative to apply, and you had a great track record,” Jones said.
Gidley pointed to the connections behind the awards. “The greatest thing is hopefully trying to make some connections so these kinds of things can take place,” Gidley said. “That is the most important thing, what we bring back to the community and what we can do to help better our communities, our schools, our fire departments and our cities.”
What is Coosa Valley RC&D?
The Coosa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council is a nonprofit serving 11 counties in east-central Alabama: Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega and Tallapoosa.
It works with legislators, schools, municipalities and nonprofits on projects meant to strengthen local communities. Grant applications open April 1 and close June 30 each year, with awards announced in the fall.
That timing matters for any Etowah County group reading this. The window for the next cycle has already closed, and the one after it opens next April.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Etowah County receive? $75,331.29 across nine projects.
Who got the most? The Get Outside Initiative and New Union Volunteer Fire Department, at $15,000 each.
How many fire departments received grants? Three, sharing $30,361.78.
When can my group apply? Applications open April 1 and close June 30 each year.
What area does the council serve? Coosa Valley RC&D covers 11 counties in east-central Alabama, including Etowah.
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